Dear Centennial High School Community,

We hope this finds you well.  As I type this email (a few hours before you will receive it), our students are beginning to ease into the structures and norms of high school.  For our Grade 10 students, high school is a brand new and often intimidating experience – but it is amazing how quickly they grow into the community and learn the ropes.  Please encourage your children, regardless of the grade they are in, to reach out to their Guidance Counsellor, Administrator, or any adult in the building they connect with, whenever they have questions or concerns (or just need some reassurance or help).  We are here for them.

Tomorrow we will have assemblies in the gymnasium with each of our grade cohorts, just to welcome (and welcome back) students while sharing information about getting involved in our school community.  In the meantime, please carefully read the message below for several important updates.  I promise that most of our School Messengers will not be this lengthy – but as this is the beginning of the school year there is a significant amount of information to share.

 Meet the Teacher Night – Thursday, September 11

• Please join us for the opportunity to put faces to names as you Meet the Teachers!
• Join us in the Gym at 6:45pm on September 11
• There will be a brief assembly at 7:00pm, after which parents/guardians will follow an abbreviated version of their child’s Monday timetable (Period 1, then 2, 3, and 4)
• The evening will conclude at 8:25pm

Bell Schedule Reminder

• Our bell schedule has changed slightly since the 2024/25 school year
• Tutorials now take place daily (Monday through Friday) from 8:40 – 09:05am
• The first class of each day now begins at 9:09am
• Please note: Calgary Transit provides additional buses that are scheduled to drop students off a few minutes prior to the start of our school day
• • The start of our school day is 8:40, not 9:09, as our bell schedule begins with Tutorial
  • Students should plan to ensure they are at school by 8:40, and should attend the Tutorial of the class(es) they would like support in
• The school day ends at 3:35pm Monday through Thursday, with early dismissal (1:15pm) on Fridays

Centennial High School Artificial Intelligence Policy

• As you know, AI has become a huge part of all aspects of media and education
• At Centennial, we recognize that AI is a tool used by many students, and this comes with many complexities and at times challenges
• Please have your child review the CHS Artificial Intelligence Policy, available by clicking the link at the bottom of this message

School Fees

• The Calgary Board of Education is experiencing a delay in assigning fees to student accounts
• We will update our school community as soon as the CBE notifies us that fees have been posted and assigned
• Thank you for your patience

Parking Passes

• Due to the CBE central delay in assigning fees to student accounts, students do not yet require a physical parking pass to park in the student lot
• Once Parking Passes are available, we will notify families that they can be purchased online through you myCBE account
• • Once purchased, students will need to go to the Business Office to pick up the physical parking pass
  • The parking pass must be displayed on the rearview mirror of the vehicle at all times (when parked in the CHS student lot)

Yearbook Purchases

• Yearbooks are now on sale!
• To celebrate the start of the school year, yearbooks are on sale for $45
• ORDER NOW to GUARANTEE your student's copy of the 2025-2026 yearbook at the LOWEST PRICE of the year!
• Early bird pricing ends October 1
• To purchase a yearbook, please visit the following link: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?ref=A01084231
• Please note: yearbooks are not available through your child’s myCBE account this year, which is a change from last year
• IMPORTANT: for those families who responded expressing interest in purchasing a yearbook in August (there are about 500 of you!), please note that yearbooks do need to be purchased as per the instructions above; I apologize for this replication

Honour Roll Certificates

• Honour Roll certificates from the Semester 2 of the 2024/25 school year are ready!
• Certificates can be picked up at lunch Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9.
• All students who made the Honour Roll will receive a certificate
• • Current Grade 11 students can get their certificate from Ms. Kim in T116
  • Current Grade 12 students can get their certificate from Mr. Freeborn in T118
• Congratulations to all of our Honour Roll students – your dedication and commitment to academics is commendable!

Locker Distribution

• All Grade 10 students, and all Band students, have now been assigned an individual locker
• Students should check their CBE student email account for their locker assignment information (please check your Junk folder as well, as some of these emails appear to be showing up there)
• Grades 11 and 12 students who wish to have an individual locker must request to have one
• • There is a QR code outside the Business Office that students can scan to request a locker; this information was also shared via School Messenger in August
  • Grades 11 and 12 students who have requested lockers will have them assigned by early next week, and should check their CBE email for their locker information as well

Jostens Graduation Jewelry

• Jostens will be at Centennial on Wednesday, September 10 during the lunch break for a preview day for graduation jewelry
• Order Days will take place on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18, also during lunch break
• A table will be set up in the upper Cafeteria on the preview and order days
• Catalogues are available in the Main Office and Learning Commons

All In For Youth Success Coach

• Over the past few years, Centennial has established a valuable partnership with All In For Youth
• This year we are fortunate to have a full time All In For Youth Success Coach (Ieuan Roberts, who was with us half time last year)
• Ieuan and All In For Youth are able to provide a vast array of supports for students and families in need
• Students can connect with Mr. Roberts through their Guidance Counsellor or Assistant Principal

Wellness Course in D2L

• At Centennial, all students get enrolled in a course titled “Wellness”
• This course will show up on student schedules, but is NOT an actual course that students attend – rather, it is a way to connect our school community with Student Services resources
• Our outstanding Guidance team created this course a couple years ago to provide a venue for all kinds of resources and supports for students, and the feedback from students and their families has been very positive
• The following information is available for students through this D2L shell:
• • Processes for booking appointments with Guidance
  • Mental Health Resources in the community
  • Information on what is required to Graduate
  • Information about IPPs
  • Access to instructions on how to apply to Post-Secondary Institutions
  • Scholarship opportunities
  • Updates on sessions and events involving Student Services
  • Indigenous Learner supports
  • Learning Strategy and Planning tips
  • And much, much more!

Personal Mobile Device and Social Media Restrictions for Students

• The following is a reminder of provincial legislation that was introduced a year ago, specific to student use of Personal Mobile Devices at school
• • Centennial High School is required to enforce this legislation and the associated CBE policy
• The Calgary Board of Education implemented a standardized Personal Mobile Device & Social Media Use in Schools Policy effective August 29, 2024
• Personal mobile devices brought to school include cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, laptops, smart watches, Bluetooth speakers/headphones or any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate with or access the internet
• • Such devices must be powered off or set to silent mode and stored out of sight in student lockers, backpacks or other designated areas during instructional time
  • Personal mobile device use may be permitted during breaks between classes, lunch times and when directed by the teacher for specific educational activities.
• If a student is found to be using a personal mobile device in class without permission from the teacher, Centennial staff will work with the student to ensure the rules are understood, and when necessary will approach ongoing issues through progressive discipline
• Also, aligned with the provincial Ministerial Order, students are not permitted to access social media on the CBE network
• These rules apply to all students, with exceptions for students using devices for health and medical needs, to support specialized learning needs, and for educational purposes
• Students who require access to a personal mobile device for health and medical needs will need to have their parent/guardian complete a Student Health Plan as soon as possible, submitting it to our Main Office
• For students who require access to a personal mobile device to support an identified educational need, families should contact the school to discuss this being included as an accommodation or support in the student’s Individual Program Plan (IPP).

Uncertainty

• Though things often move quickly and by the time you receive this Messenger updates may have occurred, at this time I do not know what is to come regarding the ATA, provincial government, and ongoing negotiations
• Until we hear otherwise, Centennial staff will be at work – we are committed to doing our very best in support of your children, our community, and one another
• I am hopeful that matters are resolved soon, and that students, staff, and families can proceed with a great school year free of the stress and tension of all the unknowns

 Thank you for reading the extensive amount of information above.  We appreciate your support and involvement in your children's education. 

Centennial 2025-2026 AI Policy.pdf 

Sincerely,

Joe Sturgeon

Principal, Centennial High School